Self-closing drawer slide

ABSTRACT

A self-closing drawer slide includes a cabinet member, a drawer member, a plurality of bearings interfitted between the cabinet and drawer members, a generally planar surface having a channel defined therein, which extends in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer member, and a slider positioned in the channel and adapted to selectively engage the drawer member. A spring is connected to the slider and adapted to exert a pulling force that tends to pull the slider toward the back end of the channel. In addition, a holding notch is defined in the planar surface adjacent the front end of the channel, which is adapted to releasably hold the slider near the front end of the channel. The slider is adapted to engage a surface on the drawer member that causes the slider to move into the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the extended position and to move out of the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the closed position, with the spring causing the slider to move to the back end of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holding notch and to thereby move the drawer member to the closed position.

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional applicationSerial No. 60/456,200, filed Mar. 20, 2003, which is herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to drawer slides and,more particularly, to drawer slides that include self-closing featuresthat automatically close the drawer slide when the attached drawer hasbeen pushed almost all the way back into the cabinet.

[0003] Drawer slides are customarily used to support drawers incabinets. Typically, one drawer slide member is attached to each side ofthe drawer and each side of the internal wall in the cabinet. The drawerslides support the drawer as it is pulled out of the cabinet to anextended position and pushed back into the cabinet to a closed position.The drawer slides typically include some kind of bearings which allowthe smooth movement of the drawer into and out of the cabinet.Conventional drawer slides can also be mounted underneath the drawer ina concealed fashion so that they are not visible when the drawer ispulled open. Other types of mountings of drawer slides are also known inthe art.

[0004] In some prior art drawer slides, there has been nothingincorporated into the drawer slide that maintains the drawer within thecabinet after it has been pushed therein other than friction. In otherwords, after a person pushes a drawer back into the cabinet, there is nostructure to guarantee that the drawer will stay pushed all the way intothe cabinet other than the friction of the drawer slide and the drawerwithin the cabinet. In some instances, this friction is insufficient tomaintain the drawer within the cabinet. In those instances, the drawermay slide partially back out of the cabinet or roll forward out of thecabinet. The drawer will thus not stay in a closed position. In order toovercome these problems, drawer slides have been created thatautomatically pull the drawer to the closed position and exert a biasingforce against the drawer to maintain it in the closed position. Thesedrawer slides are generally known as self-closing drawer slides.

[0005] In the past, self-closing drawer slides have suffered fromseveral disadvantages. In some cases, the self-closing mechanism of thedrawer slide has tended to operate in a noisy or squeaky fashion. Thiscan occur when the self-closing mechanism includes moving parts withmetal to metal contact. In other cases, the self-closing mechanism hasnot been constructed as economically as possible. In still other cases,it has been difficult to properly position the self-closing mechanism inrelation to the drawer slide in a space efficient manner. The need for aself-closing drawer slide that alleviates some of these types ofdisadvantages can therefore be seen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved drawerslide with a self-closing mechanism. The improved drawer slide operatesin a quiet manner and is constructed in a robust, cost efficient, andspace efficient manner.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a self-closingdrawer slide is provided. The self-closing drawer slide includes acabinet member, a drawer member, a plurality of bearings, a generallyplanar surface, a slider, a spring, and a holding notch. The cabinetmember is adapted to be stationarily mounted to the inside of a cabinet.The drawer member is adapted to be mounted to the drawer. Both thedrawer member and the cabinet members have bearing surfaces whichcontact the bearings. The bearings are interfitted between the cabinetmember and the drawer member and adapted to allow the drawer member tomove between a closed position and an extended position. The drawermember has all of its bearing surfaces nested within the cabinet member.The generally planar surface has a channel defined therein that extendsin a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the drawermember. The channel has a front end and a back end and a substantiallyuniform width between the front and back ends. The front end ispositioned nearer than the back end to an opening in the cabinet out ofwhich the drawer member exits when in the extended position. The slideris positioned in the channel and adapted to selectively engage thedrawer member. The spring is connected to the slider and adapted toexert a pulling force that tends to pull the slider toward the back endof the channel. The holding notch is defined in the planar surfaceadjacent the front end of the channel and adapted to releasably hold theslider near the front end of the channel. The slider is adapted toengage a surface on the drawer member that causes the slider to moveinto the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the extendedposition and to move out of the holding notch when the drawer member ismoved to the closed position. The spring causes the slider to move tothe back end of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holdingnotch and to thereby move the drawer member to the closed position.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, aself-closing mechanism for a drawer slide is provided. The drawer slideis mountable within a cabinet and movable between a closed position andan extended position. The self-closing mechanism is adapted toautomatically move the drawer slide completely to the closed positionwhen the drawer slide has been moved nearly to the closed position. Theself-closing mechanism includes a planar surface, a channel defined inthe planar surface, a slider positioned in the channel, a springconnected to the slider, and a holding notch defined in the planarsurface. The channel extends in a direction generally parallel to thedirection of movement of the drawer slide and includes a front end and aback end. The channel has a substantially uniform width between thefront and back ends. The front end is positioned nearer than the backend to an opening in the cabinet out of which the drawer slide exitswhen in the extended position. The slider is adapted to selectivelyengage the drawer slide and includes a top portion and a bottom. The topportion and bottom portion are both wider than the channel width and areseparated by an intermediate portion having a width that is narrowerthan the channel width such that the intermediate portion can travel inthe channel in the direction of movement of the drawer slide. The springis connected to the slider and adapted to bias the slider toward theback end of the channel. The holding notch is defined in the planarsurface adjacent the front end of the channel and adapted to releasablyhold the slider near the front end of the channel. The slider is adaptedto engage a surface on the drawer slide that causes the slider to moveinto the holding notch when the drawer slide is moved to the extendedposition and to move out of the holding notch when the drawer slide ismoved to the closed position. The spring causes the slider to move tothe back end of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holdingnotch and to thereby move the drawer slide to the closed position.

[0009] According to other aspects of the present invention, the drawerslide may include an intermediate member positioned between the drawermember and the cabinet members which is adapted to move between anextended position and a closed position. The intermediate member mayinclude a plurality of bearing surfaces in contact with the bearingswherein all of these bearing surfaces are nested within the cabinetmember. The planar surface may be made of plastic and the spring may bepositioned such that it is not in contact with any other metalstructures. The planar surface may include an enlarged opening incommunication with the channel. The enlarged opening may have a widthgreater than the width of at least one of the top portion and bottomportion of the slider whereby the slider can be inserted into theenlarged opening to allow the intermediate portion to fit into thechannel. The enlarged opening may be positioned at the back end of thechannel. The spring may be cylindrically shaped and define an interiorthat is free of any structures. The self-closing drawer slide of thepresent invention provides a smooth, quiet, and efficient self-closingdrawer slide. These and other advantages of the present invention willbe apparent to one skilled in the art upon review of the followingspecification and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer having a pair of drawerslides according to one aspect of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a plan view photograph of a self-closing mechanism ofthe present invention illustrated detached from a drawer slide;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a partial, perspective view of the self-closing drawerslide of the present invention illustrated in the closed or retractedposition;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a partial, perspective view of the self-closing drawerslide of the present invention illustrated in a partially extendedposition;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the self-closing mechanism of thepresent invention;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective, exploded view of the self-closingmechanism of FIG. 5;

[0016]FIG. 6A is an enlarged perspective view of the slider of theclosing mechanism;

[0017]FIG. 6B is a side elevation view of the slider of FIG. 6A;

[0018]FIG. 6C is an end elevation view of the slider of FIG. 6B;

[0019]FIG. 6D is a top plan view of the slider of FIG. 6B;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a plan view photograph of the drawer slide of thepresent invention illustrated in a closed position;

[0021]FIG. 8 is a plan view photograph of substantially all of thedrawer slide of FIG. 7 illustrated in an extended position and with theself-closing mechanism removed;

[0022]FIG. 9 is a photograph of a back end of the drawer slide showingthe drawer slide in the closed position;

[0023]FIG. 10 is a photograph of the back end of the drawer slideshowing the drawer slide in a partially extended position;

[0024]FIG. 11 is a photograph of the back end of the drawer slideshowing the drawer slide in a completely extended position;

[0025]FIG. 12 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer slideand self-closing mechanism illustrating the engagement of the sliderwith the drawer slide;

[0026]FIG. 13 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer slideand self-closing mechanism illustrated in the closed position;

[0027]FIG. 14 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer slideand self-closing mechanism illustrating the drawer member after it hasdisengaged from the slider;

[0028]FIG. 15 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer memberand its surfaces that engage the slider;

[0029]FIG. 16 is a close-up photograph of the self-closing mechanism inthe extended position;

[0030]FIG. 17 is a close-up photograph of the self-closing mechanism inthe retracted position;

[0031]FIG. 18 is a close-up photograph of the underside of theself-closing mechanism in the extended position;

[0032]FIG. 19 is a close-up photograph of the underside of theself-closing mechanism in the extended position taken from a differentangle than that of FIG. 18;

[0033]FIG. 20 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the self-closingmechanism illustrated in the retracted position with the drawer slide inthe extended position;

[0034]FIG. 21 is a close-up photograph of the underside of a portion ofthe drawer slide and self-closing mechanism;

[0035]FIG. 22 is a photograph of the front end of the drawer slideillustrated in its closed or retracted position;

[0036]FIG. 23 is a photograph of the front end of the drawer slideillustrated in a partially extended position;

[0037]FIG. 24 is a photograph of the underside of the front portion ofthe drawer slide illustrated in the partially extended position;

[0038]FIG. 25 is a close-up photograph of a middle portion of the drawerslide;

[0039]FIG. 26 is a photograph of the front portion of the drawer slideillustrated in a partially extended position;

[0040]FIG. 27 is a side elevational view of the self-closing mechanismremoved from the drawer slide;

[0041]FIG. 28 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the body ofthe self-closing mechanism of the present invention;

[0042]FIG. 29 is an end elevation view of the body of FIG. 28;

[0043]FIG. 30 is a side elevation view of the body of FIG. 29; and

[0044]FIG. 31 is an plan view of the cabinet member illustrating therelative position of the closing mechanism tab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein the reference numerals appearing in thefollowing written description correspond to like numbered elements inthe drawings and photographs. A drawer 30 is depicted in FIG. 1 beingsupported by two drawer slides 32 according to one aspect of the presentinvention. Each drawer slide 32 is attached to a side 34 of drawer 30.Each drawer slide 32 is further attached to the inside of a cabinet 36.More specifically, drawer slides 32 are attached to each sidewall 38 ofthe cabinet 36. Each drawer slide 32 includes a self-closing mechanism40 positioned adjacent a back end 42 of the drawer slide 32.

[0046] Each drawer slide 32 includes a plurality of members that aretelescopingly interfitted between each other. These members allow thedrawer slide to move between an extended position, in which the draweris open, and a closed position in which the drawer is closed withincabinet 36. FIG. 1 illustrates the drawer in a partially openedposition. As the drawer 30 is moved in a rearward direction 44, it movescloser and closer to a closed position. Within approximately one inch ofbeing in its completely closed position, self-closing mechanism 40automatically pulls the drawer 30 to its completely closed position. Theuser of the drawer therefore only has to close the drawer to withinapproximately one inch of its closed position and the self-closingmechanism 40 will take over and completely close the drawerautomatically. The self-closing mechanism 40 further ensures that thedrawer 30 will remain in the closed position until a user pulls itoutwardly to an extended position. It will be understood, of course,that the precise distance at which self-closing mechanism 40 initiates aclosing force on the drawer can be varied substantially from theapproximately one inch distance described above.

[0047]FIG. 2 illustrates the self-closing mechanism 40 detached fromdrawer slide 32. When assembled, self-closing mechanism 40 is attachedto a cabinet member 46 of drawer slide 32. Cabinet member 46 includesfour mounting holes 48 in its central web 46 a, which receive fourflexible tabs 50 positioned on a body 52 of self-closing mechanism 40.Each flexible tab 50 includes a generally vertical portion 50 a (withrespect to its mounting orientation shown in FIG. 1) and a generallyhorizontal portion 50 b (with respect to its mounting orientation shownin FIG. 1). Each vertical portion 50 a has a lateral extent that issufficient to extend into and be seated in a respective mounting opening48, as will be more fully described below. Horizontal portion 50 bincludes a lateral extent that forms a profile generally commensurate inshape with the inner surface of cabinet rail 46 and, further, has aheight that is sufficient to form a snap fit with rail 46 when insertedin rail 46. The cabinet member 46 includes a pair of flanges 54 thatcontact flexible tabs 50 and with which portions 50 b provide snap-fitconnections and, further, cause portions 50 a to be pushed or inserted,at least partially, into mounting holes 48 when portions 50 b arealigned in rail 46 between flanges 48. Once portions 50 a of flexibletabs 50 have been inserted into mounting holes 48, self-closingmechanism 40 is securely held in place and affixed to cabinet member 46.Its release can then be accomplished by manually pushing each of theportions 50 a out of mounting holes 48 and sliding self-closingmechanism 40 out of cabinet member 46 in rearward direction 44.

[0048] Self-closing mechanism 40 includes a slider 56 that is slidablewithin body 52 between a retracted position and an extended position.FIG. 3 depicts slider 56 in the retracted position while FIG. 4 depictsslider 56 in the extended position. Slider 56 includes a tab 58 thatinteracts with a drawer member 60 that is part of drawer slide 32. Inthe illustrated embodiment, tab 58 comprises a round cylindrical member.Drawer member 60 is the portion of drawer slide 32 that attaches to thedrawer. Drawer member 60 is slidable with respect to cabinet member 46of drawer slide 42.

[0049] As illustrated in FIGS. 14-20, self-closing mechanism 40 furtherincludes a planar surface 62. A generally straight channel 64 is definedin planar surface 62. Straight channel 64 provides a runway or guidestructure for the movement of slider 56. Straight channel 64 includes afront end 66 and a back end 68. A holding notch 70 is defined adjacentthe back end 68 of straight channel 64 and planar surface 62 (FIG. 17).As will be described in more detail below, holding notch 70 allowsslider 56 to be maintained in an extended position while the drawer isopened. When the drawer is almost closed, tab 58 engages a portion ofthe drawer slide which causes slider 56 to move out of holding notch 70and into straight channel 64. When positioned in straight channel 64,slider 56 is pulled by way of a spring 72 toward back end 68 of channel64. Spring 72 comprises a coil spring that is mounted on one end toslider and on another end to body 52. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6,body 52 includes an end wall 52 a with a tab 52 b, with the proximal endof spring 72 mounted to tab 52 b, such that spring 72 is fully enclosedin body 72. Because tab 58 is still engaged with the drawer slide whileit is pulled toward back end 68, this rearward movement of slider 56causes drawer member 60 to be pulled toward the closed position, as wellas the attached drawer. The rearward movement of slider 56 toward backend 68 therefore causes the drawer to automatically be closed. As noted,this movement is caused by spring 72, which is stretched when slider 56is held in holding notch 70. Spring 72 returns to its substantiallyunstretched condition when slider 56 has moved completely toward backend 68 of channel 64.

[0050] Slider 56 is depicted in more detail in FIGS. 6, and 6A-6D.Slider 56 includes, in addition to tab 58, a spring attachment flange74, a top portion 76, a bottom portion 78, and an intermediate portion80. Top portion 76 comprises a generally planar member with generallyplanar upper and lower surfaces. Bottom portion 78, which is spaced fromupper portion 76, has a generally planar upper surface that faces thelower planar surface of upper portion 76, which together provide guidesurfaces for slider 56 on body 52. Top and bottom portions 76 and 78 areboth wider than the width of straight channel 64, while intermediateportion 80 is at least somewhat narrower than the width of straightchannel 64. Intermediate portion 80 therefore fits within straightchannel 64. Because top and bottom portions 76 and 78 are wider than thewidth of straight channel 64, slider 56 is prevented from being movedout of straight channel 64 in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal extent of straight channel 64 and the plane defined byplanar surface 62. Intermediate portion may comprise a solid member or,as illustrated, may comprise a pair of spaced members 80 a and 80 b,which extend between upper and bottom portions 76, 78 and guide slider56 along channel 64. Furthermore, spaced members 80 a and 80 m maycomprise round cylindrical members to provide a smooth gliding actionfor slider 56 along channel 64.

[0051] As best seen in FIG. 6A, bottom portion 78 of slider 56 includesan elongate depending portion 78 a, which provides reinforcement tobottom portion 78 and also provides to some degree of lateral supportfor spring 72. Portion 78 a is offset from flange 74 to provide a recess52 c in body 52 through which spring 72 extends to be mounted on flange74, which includes a retaining lip 74 a for retaining the end of spring72 on flange 74.

[0052] In order to position slider 56 within straight channel 64, slider56 is first moved into an enlarged opening 82 defined in planar surface62 (FIGS. 16-17). Enlarged opening 82 is sufficiently large to allowslider 56 to fit therein. Once positioned in enlarged opening 82, slider56 is moved toward back end 68 of straight channel 64. As slider 56 ismoved in this direction, the width of enlarged opening 82 tapers to awidth generally corresponding to that of straight channel 64. Enlargedopening 82 eventually tapers to an intermediate channel 84 thatintersects straight channel 64 at an angle. A stop surface 86 is definedadjacent the intersection of intermediate channel 84 with straightchannel 64. By appropriately pivoting slider 56, it can be insertedthrough intermediate channel 84 and into straight channel 64.Thereafter, slider 56 cannot be removed from straight channel 64 withoutpivoting it out through intermediate channel 84. In normal operation,such pivoting through intermediate channel 84 does not take place andmust be accomplished by manual intervention. In normal operation, slider56 therefore slides between holding notch 70 and stop surface 86.

[0053] As depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, as well as FIGS. 22-26, drawerslide 32 is a three-member drawer slide. Drawer slide 32 includes drawermember 60 which is mountable to a drawer. It further includes cabinetmember 46 which is mountable to the inside of a cabinet. Further, itincludes an intermediate member 88 that is mounted and slidable inbetween drawer member 60 and cabinet member 46. The movement ofintermediate member 88 and drawer member 60 with respect to cabinetmember 46 is facilitated by way of a plurality of bearings 90. Anexample of one type of bearing 90 is depicted in more detail in FIG. 25.Bearings 90 in FIG. 25 are ball bearings that are held in properposition between intermediate member 88 and drawer member 60 by way of acage 92 a. Bearings 90 are in contact with bearing surfaces on bothintermediate member 88 and drawer member 60. Further, ball bearings 90are positioned between intermediate member 88 and the flanges 54 ofcabinet member 46. These additional ball bearings are not visible inFIG. 25, but are maintained in their proper position by way of a cage 92b positioned between intermediate member 88 and cabinet member 46. Asillustrated more clearly in FIG. 22, all of the drawer members 60 andintermediate member 88 are positioned or nested within cabinet member46. That is, flanges 54 of cabinet member 46 completely surround all ofthe components and bearing surfaces of drawer member 60 and intermediatemember 88. Drawer member 60 and intermediate member 88 thustelescopingly slide within cabinet member 46.

[0054] While drawer slide 32 has been described herein as comprisingthree different members, it will be appreciated that the self-closingmechanism of the present invention can be applied to drawer slideshaving different numbers of drawer members, such as two, or greater thanthree. Further, while drawer member 60 illustrated in the accompanyingphotographs includes a plurality of apertures 94 for mounting it to adrawer, it will be understood that the particular manner in which drawermember 60 is attached to a drawer is not part of the present invention.In fact, the present invention finds equal application to drawer slidesthat are mounted to both the drawer and the drawer cabinet in differentmanners from that illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0055] The interaction of tab 58 of slider 56 with drawer member 60 canbest be understood with reference to FIGS. 12-15. As can be seen inthese figures, drawer member 60 includes an angled channel 96. Angledchannel 96 includes a first surface 98 that contacts tab 58 as thedrawer is initially moved from the completely closed position toward anextended position. As drawer member 60 is pulled outwardly out of thecabinet 36, first surface 98 engages tab 58 and pulls tab 58, as well asslider 56, from back end 68 of straight channel 64 toward front end 66.When slider 56 has reached the front end 66 of straight channel 64, tab58 and slider 56 can no longer be pulled any farther in straight channel64. At this point, first surface 98, due to its angled nature, pushesagainst tab 58 and forces slider 56 to move into holding notch 70. Afterslider 56 has been moved into holding notch 70, angled surface 98disengages from tab 58. Drawer member 60 can thereafter be movedcompletely to its extended position. When drawer member 60 is in thecompletely extended position, such as is illustrated in FIG. 11, slider56 is frictionally held in holding notch 70 by way of the shape ofholding notch 70 and the rearward biasing force exerted by spring 72against it.

[0056] As drawer member 60 is moved back toward its retracted positionin rearward direction 44, a second surface 100 in angled channel 96eventually comes in contact with tab 58. Because of the angled nature ofsecond surface 100, second surface 100 pushes slider 56 out of holdingnotch 70. Once slider 56 has been pushed out of holding notch 70, theforce of spring 72 on slider 56 causes slider 56 to be pulled backwardtoward back end 68 of channel 64. This backward movement of slider 56also causes drawer member 60 to be pulled backward because of tab 58'sengagement with first surface 98 of angled channel 96. This backwardmovement causes drawer member 60 to automatically move to a completelyclosed position. Self-closing mechanism 40 thereby completely closes thedrawer after slider 56 has moved out of holding notch 70.

[0057] In certain situations, slider 56 may inadvertently move out ofholding notch 70 before drawer member 60 has been moved into contactwith tab 58. An example of this situation is depicted in FIG. 20. FIG.20 illustrates slider 56 moved all the way back to back end 68 ofchannel 64 while drawer member 60 is still in an extended position (notvisible). When self-closing mechanism 40 is in the state depicted inFIG. 20, it will not automatically pull drawer member 60 toward theclosed position. This is because slider 56 has already been pulledtoward its rear most position by spring 72. When the drawer is closedand slider 56 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 20, a third surface102 (FIG. 13) of angled channel 96 will eventually come into contactwith tab 58 as the drawer is closed. Because third surface 102 isangled, its contact with tab 58 will cause slider 56 to pivot such thattab 58 can move into angled channel 96 as the drawer is completelyclosed. Once tab 58 is completely moved into angled channel 96, normaloperation of self-closing mechanism 40 returns.

[0058] As can be seen in FIGS. 6B and 27, tab 58 includes an angled topsurface 104. Angled top surface 104 helps prevent any interference froma drawer with tab 58. Optimally, the angle of the surface 104 is suchthat surface 104 extends below flanges 54 of cabinet member 46, with theback edge 104 a of surface 104 recessed below the outer edges of flanges54 as best seen in FIG. 31. Because drawer member 60 can flex somewhattoward and away from cabinet member 46, it is possible in somesituations for the drawer attached to drawer member 60 to come intocontact with the top surface of tab 58. The sloped nature of top surface104 helps to minimize any interference that this contact might otherwisecreate, as well as to reduce any potential this interaction might havefor damaging tab 58.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 28-30, the numeral 140 generally designatesanother embodiment of a self-closing mechanism of the present invention.Self-closing mechanism 140 is of similar construction to mechanism 40and includes slider 56 and a body 152. For further details of slider 56and of how slider 56 is mounted in body 152, reference is made to theprevious embodiment.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, body 152 includes planar surface62 and channel 64, similar to body 52, and further includes a pair oframps provided by a pair of projecting tabs or flanges 152 d and 152 e.Tabs 152 d and 152 e project from end wall 152 c of body 152 and projectabove planar surface 62. The upper portions of tabs 152 d and 152 einclude sloped surfaces 153 d and 153 e that form an acute angle withrespect to planar surface 62. Surfaces 153 d and 153 e provide rampsurfaces to raise the level of the drawer member 60. In this manner, tab58 is properly engaged by member 60 when drawer member 60 is pushed intoits retracted position.

[0061] To minimize the potential for a jam, as best seen in FIGS. 29 and30, the uppermost portions of surfaces 153 d and 153 e align at least ator above the base 58 a of tab 58. In this manner, the lower surface ofmember 60 will be raised at or above the base 58 a of tab 58 and so thatchannel 96 will engage tab 58 at or above base 58 a.

[0062] Though illustrated with two tabs (152 d and 152 e), it should beunderstood that a single, preferably centered tab or more than two tabsmay also be used. However, where two or more ramps are provided, theramps are preferably arranged to straddle channel or notch 96. In thismanner, drawer member 60 will be raised before tab 58 enters channel 96.

[0063] While a wide variety of different materials may be used withinthe scope of the present invention, the self-closing mechanism ispreferably entirely made of plastic with the exception of spring 72.Further, spring 72 is preferably cylindrically shaped and defines aninterior that is free of any structures. Stated alternatively, spring 72is not wrapped around any elongated member. Thus, when spring 72 flexesand retracts, it does not slidingly contact any interior memberpositioned inside its cylindrical shape. This reduces any noise or wearthat might otherwise be created by an internal member positioned withinthe cylindrical shape of spring 72.

[0064] While the present invention has been described in terms of theembodiments depicted in the drawings and discussed above, it will beunderstood by one skilled in the art that the present invention is notlimited to these particular embodiments, but includes any and all suchmodifications that are within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A self-closing drawer slide comprising: a cabinetmember adapted to be stationarily mounted to the inside of a cabinet; adrawer member adapted to be mounted to a drawer, said drawer member andsaid cabinet member both having bearing surfaces; a plurality ofbearings interfitted between said cabinet member and said drawer memberand in contact with said bearing surfaces, said bearings adapted toallow said drawer member to move between a closed position and anextended position, said drawer member having all of its bearing surfacesnested within the cabinet member; a generally planar surface having achannel defined therein, said channel extending in a direction parallelto the direction of movement of the drawer member, said channel having afront end and a back end and a substantially uniform width between saidfront and back ends, said front end being positioned nearer than saidback end to an opening in the cabinet out of which the drawer memberexits when in the extended position; a slider positioned in said channeland adapted to selectively engage the drawer member, a spring connectedto said slider and adapted to exert a pulling force that tends to pullsaid slider toward the back end of said channel; and a holding notchdefined in said planar surface adjacent the front end of said channel,said holding notch adapted to releasably hold the slider near the frontend of the channel, said slider adapted to engage a surface on thedrawer member that causes said slider to move into the holding notchwhen the drawer member is moved to the extended position and to move outof the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the closedposition, said spring causing said slider to move to the back end of thechannel when the slider is moved out of the holding notch and to therebymove the drawer member to the closed position.
 2. The drawer slide ofclaim 1 further including an intermediate member positioned between saiddrawer and said cabinet members and adapted to move between an extendedposition and a closed position, said intermediate member including aplurality of bearing surfaces in contact with said bearings wherein allof said bearing surfaces of said intermediate member are nested withinsaid cabinet member.
 3. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein said planarsurface is made of plastic.
 4. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein saidspring is generally cylindrically shaped and defines an interior spacethat is free of any structures.
 5. The drawer slide of claim 4, whereinsaid slider includes a body with a tab projecting therefrom toselectively engage the drawer member.
 6. The drawer slide of claim 5,wherein said body further includes a flange, said flange depending fromsaid body in an opposite direction than said tab, and said spring beingconnected to said flange.
 7. The drawer slide in claim 6, wherein saidbody includes an upper portion, an intermediate portion, and a bottomportion, said upper portion and said lower portion being wider than saidwidth of said channel, and said intermediate portion being narrower thansaid channel wherein said upper and lower portions guide said slideralong said planar surface in said channel.
 8. The drawer slide in claim7, wherein said flange extends from said bottom portion.
 9. The drawerslide in claim 6, wherein said flange is offset from said tab.
 10. Thedrawer slide of claim 1, wherein said slider includes a portion abovesaid planar surface extending laterally with respect to said channel tolimit movement of said slider into said planar surface and therebyprovide a guide for said slider.
 11. The drawer slide of claim 10,wherein said slider includes a portion below said planar surfaceextending laterally with respect to said channel to limit movement ofsaid slider from said planar surface to thereby form a second guidewherein said planar surface is captured between said guides when saidslider is positioned in said channel.
 12. The drawer slide of claim 1,wherein said slider has a top portion and a bottom, said top portion andbottom portion being wider than said width of said channel and separatedby an intermediate portion having a width narrower than said width ofsaid channel such that said intermediate portion can travel in saidchannel in the direction of movement of the drawer member.
 13. Thedrawer slide of claim 12, wherein said planar surface further includesan enlarged opening in communication with said channel, said enlargedopening having a width greater than the width of at least one of saidtop portion and bottom portion of said slider whereby said slider can beinserted into the enlarged opening to allow said intermediate portion tofit into said channel.
 14. The drawer slide of claim 13, wherein saidenlarged opening is positioned at the back end of said channel.
 15. Thedrawer slide of claim 14, wherein said channel comprises a firstchannel, said enlarged opening being separated from said first channelby an intermediate channel that intersects said first channel at anangle.
 16. The drawer slide of claim 12, wherein said spring comprises acoil spring defining an interior spring that is free of any structures.17. The drawer slide of claim 1, further comprising at least one ramp toraise said drawer member when said drawer member is moved to said closedposition to align said surface with said slider.
 18. The drawer slideaccording to claim 17, wherein said slider includes a projecting tab,said tab having a base, and said ramp raising said surface at or abovesaid base to thereby align said surface with said slider.
 19. The drawerslide according to claim 18, further comprising a flange, said flangeprojecting above said generally planar surface and having a slopedsurface, said slope surface forming said ramp.
 20. The drawer slideaccording to claim 19, wherein said flange comprises a pair of flanges,said flanges forming a pair of said ramps.
 21. A self-closing mechanismfor a drawer slide mountable within a cabinet and movable between aclosed position and an extended position, said self-closing mechanismadapted to automatically move said drawer slide completely to the closedposition when the drawer slide has been moved nearly to the closedposition, said self-closing mechanism comprising: a planar surface; achannel defined in said planar surface and extending in a directionparallel to the direction of movement of the drawer slide, said channelhaving a front end and a back end and a substantially uniform widthbetween said front and back ends, said front end being positioned nearerthan said back end to an opening in the cabinet out of which the drawerslide exits when in the extended position; a slider positioned in saidchannel and adapted to selectively engage the drawer slide, said sliderhaving a top portion and a bottom, said top portion and bottom portionbeing wider than said channel width and separated by an intermediateportion having a width narrower than said channel width such that saidintermediate portion can travel in said channel in the direction ofmovement of the drawer slide; a spring connected to said slider andadapted to bias said slider toward the back end of said channel; and aholding notch defined in said planar surface adjacent the front end ofsaid channel, said holding notch adapted to releasably hold the slidernear the front end of the channel, said slider adapted to engage asurface on the drawer slide that causes said slider to move into theholding notch when the drawer slide is moved to the extended positionand to move out of the holding notch when the drawer slide is moved tothe closed position, said spring causing said slider to move to the backend of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holding notch andto thereby move the drawer slide to the closed position.
 22. Themechanism of claim 21, wherein said spring includes no contact with anymetal structures.
 23. The mechanism of claim 22, wherein said spring isgenerally cylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that isfree of any structures.
 24. The mechanism of claim 21, furthercomprising a body, said body including said planar surface and an endwall, said spring mounted between said end wall and said slider.
 25. Themechanism of claim 21, wherein said planar surface is made of plastic.26. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said spring is generallycylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that is free of anystructures.
 27. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said slider includesa tab, said tab adapted to selectively engage the drawer slide or thedrawer member.
 28. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein said tab has asloped top.
 29. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein said tab comprises around cylindrical member.
 30. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein saidbody further includes a flange, said flange depending from said body inan opposite direction than said tab, and said spring being connected tosaid flange.
 31. The mechanism in claim 30, wherein said flange extendsfrom said bottom portion.
 32. The mechanism in claim 30, wherein saidupper portion comprises a generally planar member.
 33. The mechanism ofclaim 21, wherein said intermediate portion comprises a pair of spacedapart members extending between said upper and bottom portions.
 34. Themechanism of claim 33, wherein said spaced apart members comprisecylindrical members.
 35. The mechanism of claim 33, wherein said spacedapart members comprise round cylindrical members.
 36. The mechanism ofclaim 21, wherein said planar surface further includes an enlargedopening in communication with said channel, said enlarged opening havinga width greater than the width of at least one of said top portion andbottom portion of said slider whereby said slider can be inserted intothe enlarged opening to allow said intermediate portion to fit into saidchannel.
 37. The mechanism of claim 36, wherein said enlarged opening ispositioned at the back end of said channel.
 38. The mechanism of claim37, wherein said channel comprises a first channel, said enlargedopening being separated from said first channel by an intermediatechannel that intersects said first channel at an angle.
 39. Aself-retracting slide comprising: a first fixed rail; a sliding railslidable with respect to said fixed rail and adapted to move between aretracted position in said fixed rail and an extended position whereinat least a portion of said sliding rail is extended from said fixedrail, said sliding rail having a web; a body having a channel definedtherein, said channel extending in a direction parallel to the directionof movement of the sliding rail, said channel having a front end and aback end and a substantially uniform width between said front and backends, said front end being positioned nearer than said back end to anend of said fixed rail from which said sliding rail extends; a sliderpositioned in said channel and adapted to selectively engage said web ofthe sliding rail, said slider having a portion above said body surfaceextending laterally with respect to said channel to limit movement ofsaid slider into said body through said channel and thereby provide aguide for said slider along said channel; a spring connected to saidslider and adapted to exert a pulling force that tends to pull saidslider toward the back end of said channel; and a holding notch definedin said body adjacent the front end of said channel, said holding notchadapted to releasably hold the slider near the front end of the channel,said slider adapted to engage a surface of said web that causes saidslider to move into the holding notch when the drawer member is moved tothe extended position and to move out of the holding notch when thedrawer member is moved to the closed position, said spring causing saidslider to move to the back end of the channel when the slider is movedout of the holding notch and to thereby move the sliding member to theretracted position.
 40. The self-retracting slide of claim 39, whereinsaid slider includes a portion below said body extending laterally withrespect to said channel to limit movement of said slider from said bodyto thereby form a second guide wherein a portion of said body iscaptured between said guides when said slider is positioned in saidchannel.
 41. The self-retracting slide of claim 39, wherein said bodycomprises a plastic body.
 42. The self-retracting slide of claim 39,wherein said spring is generally cylindrically shaped and defines aninterior space that is free of any structures.
 43. The self-retractingslide of claim 42, wherein said slider includes a tab projecting toselectively engage the web of the sliding rail.
 44. The self-retractingslide of claim 43, wherein said body further includes a flange, saidflange depending from said body, and said spring being connected to saidflange.
 45. The self-retracting slide of claim 44, wherein said bodyfurther includes outwardly extending tabs for engaging said fixed railto thereby mount said body to said fixed rail.
 46. The self-retractingslide of claim 45, wherein said fixed rail includes mounting openings,said tabs engaging said fixed rail at said mounting openings.
 47. Theself-retracting slide of claim 43, wherein said body includes at leastone ramp, said ramp raising said web of said sliding rail to align withsaid tab of said slider.
 48. The self-retracting slide of claim 47,wherein said body includes a pair of flanges, said flanges forming apair of said ramps.
 49. The self-retracting slide of claim 48, whereinsaid flanges extend from an end of said body toward said sliding rail.50. The self-retracting slide of claim 49, wherein said web includes anengagement notch, said engagement notch engaging said tab of saidslider; and said flanges straddling said engagement notch to therebyraise said sliding rail before said tab enters said engagement notch.